Room 406, evening

[izzyalienqueen]

After a busy few days, Isabel was stretched out on her bed, reviewing her notes for Hunting.

The door was open.

Comments

[the_merriest]

Rikku nodded. "Becomes one. Or, I mean. Maybe they're not real, like, how we are? But they can walk and talk and feel and love and don't know they aren't. Not until someone stops Summoning them."

She looked down for a long moment. "There was ... a city. Summoned for a thousand years. And when we freed the fayth, the dreaming stopped, and all of those people ... they vanished into thin air."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"That sounds incredible," she said slowly. "I've never heard of anything like that. Is that what you're trying to do? To find them?"

[the_merriest]

Rikku shook her head. "I never knew most of them. Just one. He crossed into our world and helped us ... end things. Save the world. Even knowing what ... what it would mean for him." She closed her eyes. "I thought ... I thought maybe I could find him. And bring him back."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel sighed, understanding the feeling of loss and the desire to get someone back. "He sounds very special." She thought about her dreamwalking, so far it had only been on people that were relatively close physically, whether or not she would be able to reach someone that was essentially a dream. "Do you have a picture of him?"

[the_merriest]

"He ..." She looked down, thinking. "He and Yunie, they were in love. And she was supposed to die, saving the world, but we fixed it, and then he died instead, and ... that's why I was trying the whole ... ritual in the first place. She misses him so much and ..."

Rikku looked away for a long moment, then back. "No. No mementos or anything. His sword is back on Besaid, maybe I should have tried using that."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Liz and Maria's faces flashed in her mind and Isabel closed her eyes. She could relate to what Rikku wanted to do. "The reason I asked about the picture. There's this thing I can do. If I had a picture of him, I might be able to contact him. If he still existed."

[the_merriest]

Rikku stared at her. "You ... you can? You could? I mean. Is it dangerous? I don't want to ... I can't ask you to, if you might get hurt?"

She bit her lip, thinking. "I could, maybe Yunie has one? Maybe I ... I don't even know. How close would it need to be? I would draw one but ... I can't draw."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It's only dangerous when I pop into the head of a friend and find out he's possessed by the Source of all Evil," she replied with a shrug. "Otherwise, it's not a big deal at all."

No photograph, Isabel bit her lip, wondering. "I don't know. I've always used photographs. So I don't even know if a drawing would work. But I'd say it would have to be pretty detailed."

[the_merriest]

"The ... the source of all evil!? Whoa." She shook her head. "Are you okay? Did it try to hurt you?"

Rikku listened, nodding. "I'll ... I'll see what I can find. If you're sure that it's okay and you don't mind, and ..." She smiled a bit wistfully. "I, uh. Even if it doesn't work, I ... thank you. I don't know how to say it right, other than I'll owe you one, and that sounds stupid, but ... thank you. For offering."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"He did, but Parker did some fast talking and saved both our lives. And eventually? A bunch of us were able to stop him," Isabel said, remembering how frustrating the whole situation had been.

"I don't mind. At all. We look out for one another here. And help when we can." She paused for a moment, trying to get her thoughts straight. "I can't even guarantee I'll be able to help. But I'll try. And you won't owe me a thing. I want to help."

[the_merriest]

Rikku nodded. "I'm glad you're both okay, then. That's ... that's scary. That's the kind of Fandom weirdness I'm not so keen on." She shuddered.

"This place ... it's full of some really amazing people. I mean, not just, you know, that people can do things or be things, I mean, uh." She blushed. "I was just hoping that no one would ... hate me, for being Al Bhed? I didn't expect people here would be ... so nice."

"I know none of this is definite. It's ... it just means a lot that you'd even ask. And if I can ever help you. I mean, something stupid or something big or you want some smoke bombs so you can go cause some mischief. Let me know, okay?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Honestly? I don't even know what Al Bhed is," she admitted. "It doesn't make a difference to me. You're a nice person. That's what matters. But I will keep the smoke bombs in mind."

[the_merriest]

"No one here does," Rikku said softly. "It's ... it's nice. No one's called me names and someone said my eyes were pretty. It's hard to get used to."

Her eyes lit up a bit. "I have plenty of smoke bombs. And explosives. Always good for wreaking a little havoc, you know?!"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"They are pretty," Isabel smiled. "And I'm finding you during the next invasion then. Because havoc will be required I'm sure."

[the_merriest]

Rikku grinned. "Thanks. And you bet! Unless it's another storm-thing. Then I'll be hiding under my bed. Other than that, I've got all kinds of useful goodies."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You don't like storms?" Isabel asked. "I was such a wreck that weekend I really didn't even notice it. Well until they started flinging fish against the windows. That was noticeable."

[the_merriest]

Rikku shuddered. "I hate them. Have you ever been hit by lightning? It's the worst! And it stormed for two straight days and I thought we were all going to die and the lightning was going to pop a window out and zap me right in the head."

"Uh, why were you a wreck? I mean, if it wasn't 'cause of the storms?" She thought for a minute. "They threw fish against the windows!?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel shook her head. "No I haven't fortunately. Hopefully I never will." She looked down and tried to think of a way to summarize everything that had happened that week/six months simply. "I'd just gotten back from a rather difficult trip. I was pretty worn out and just trying to get my feet back under me."

Of course the thought of the assault of the merpeople kept her from getting to emo. "They did. I kept the window closed and just ignored it. But talk to Parker. I think she wound up with an octopus or something in her room."

[the_merriest]

Rikku grimaced. "You think you're gonna die. I get all stupid with storms now. I missed most of what happened, I was kinda hiding." And then giggled. "An octopus? Really?"

"Your trip ... oh. Ouch. This is world-saving-stuff again, isn't it? I mean the messy bits. Whoa. I'm being nosy. I'll stop, sorry." She shook her head. "Just ... I'm glad you're okay. Uh, if you are."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Really," she said. Her smiled faded a bit and she nodded. "Yeah, it was messy. But I'm dealing. I'm mostly in a holding pattern till August now. After that, we'll have to see what happens."

[the_merriest]

Rikku bit her lip. "August? Is something ... is that when you have to, uh, the saving-the-world thing? Is there ... I mean, something I can do? Or any of us? People here are ... yeah."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"August is when I have to go back," Isabel explained. "If I can find a way. But taking people from here just isn't an option. Because it's a major committment. We're trying to help a planet that's been at war for over a generation. It's going to take years. I can't ask people to give up their lives for that."

[the_merriest]

Rikku nodded. "I ... I understand. I mean, you know they would, if you let them, but ... I get it. The not-asking. And wow. I'm sorry about the war. If that doesn't sound stupid." She hugged her knees. "Ours is over. Finally. A thousand years of people being stupid and dying and ... now we're supposed to just start over, and there's nowhere to start."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel realized the conversation was missing something. Holding out a hand, she waited as the desk drawer opened and the bag of chocolate pieces came floating over. She took one and held the bag out to Rikku. "We're fighting to restore my brother to his throne. Of course the ironic thing is, he really doesn't want it."

[the_merriest]

"Ooooh, neat," Rikku said, watching. "And thanks." And she totally grabbed a few. Mmmm, chocolate. Very much required.

"He doesn't? Can someone else take it for him? I'm guessing he needs to be on it since whoever's trying to take it from him is a way worse option." Rikku popped a chocolate piece in her mouth. "We just had a crazy fake religion."